Dictation machine



Oct. 6, 1953 J. OD. SHEPHERD DICTATION MACHINE Filed June 15, 1949 Patented Oct. 6, 1953 OFFICE Continuation of application Serial No. 451,904, July 22, 1942. This application June 15, 1949,

Serial No. 99,241

7 Claims.

This invention is in the field of sound recording and reproducing and, more particularly, relates to dictation machines. This application is a continuation of my application Serial No. 451,904, filed July 22, 1942, now abandoned.

Dictation machines commonly used in commerce employ a cylinder record made of a waxlike material which occupies substantial space. Such machines normally are driven by electric motors and are so heavy as to be considered only as semi-portable. Even the substitution of a spring motor for the electric driving means would not be expected to reduce the weight to where it would be conveniently carried. Its bulk would also be considerable by virtue of the size of the conventional records.

One of the objectives of the present invention is to provide a dictation machine weighing but a few pounds and of such dimensions that it may be conveniently carried, as for example, in a mans coat pocket. Its contemplated size is comparable with a small folding pocket camera. When dictating is to be done the machine may be held in one hand in proximity of the mouth, the motor started by a convenient button extending through the case and the record made. This provides executives, engineers and others with a convenient instrumentality for producing a dictated record wherever they may be.

Another object of this invention is to provide a portable dictation machine which is fully operable in any position in which it may be held.

A third object is to provide a rugged machine of this class without parts which are susceptive of displacement by any reasonably rough handling, even by being dropped a few feet.

Still another object is the provision of a machine of this class which will continue to operate satisfactorily while its orientation is being changed or while it is being shaken or jarred, as for example, in an airplane, automobile or other moving vehicle.

A still further object of this invention is to provide novel means for indicating instructions to a typist who may transcribe a dictated record.

Reference is hereby made to my application Serial No. 423,450, filed December 18, 1941, now Patent No. 2,497,142, issued February 14, 1950, of which this is a continuation-in-part. In each the use for record purposes of a filament is contemplated. This filament has the characteristics of transmitting light and, in effect, rotating polarized light. This may be of optically active material or comprise a core of optically neutral transparent material, such as celluloid, bearing an external layer of optically active material.

It may consist of a birefringent material, such as cellophane, which has an oriented grained structure. Filaments of this type have particular advantage for a portable dictation machine in that a substantial recording time of filament may be provided on a spool, the filament is rugged, may be recorded on by simple means not susceptive of damage by reasonable shock, and not requiring any particular orientation for proper operation. A sound actuated member may place undulations on such a filament to form a sound record. Such an undulatory record may be employed to modulate a scanning beam in a detectable manner to effect reproduction of the record. Oriented polarized light may be used for such a beam, in which case the signal record will in effect rotate the polarization in accordance with the signals or, as will be termed below, rotatively modulate it. A properly oriented polarizing medium, or the like, intersecting the beam below the filament will convert rotative modulations into intensity modulations detectable by a conventional photo-cell. The output of this cell may, through suitable interconnecting circuits including an amplifier, actuate a telephone receiver or other appropriate device. A filament of these types does not require processing before it is available for reproduction.

The present device has a spool to supply the filament and a takeup spool. A spring motor provides the driving power. A diaphragm with a pivoted lever connected to its center drives in response to sound waves a cutting or deforming member. The filament is presented to this member as it passes over a rotating Wheel and the member cuts, engraves or deforms it to make a record consisting of undulations which may aifect a scanning beam and comprising light rotative and/or refractive modulations.

A dial is provided to indicate the amount of filament which has been used or, as an alternative, the amount remaining available for use. A paper tape also is provided which is driven at a slower speed than the filament, with arrangements for noting on it by pencil, or the like, particular instructions for the transcriber.

This invention is set out by five figures of the drawing, as follows:

Figure 1 is a front view of the device;

Figure 2 is a side view with a removable section of the side and back omitted and the upper por= tion of the casing broken away to show the mechanical elements;

Figure 3 shows the main drive elements;

Figure 4 is a view of the diaphragm and associated elements as viewed from the right of Figure 2, showing the relation of the filament and the recording member, and

Figure 5 indicates an arrangement which may be used to reproduce from a filament record.

With reference to Figure 1, the device is enclosed in a casing l of appropriate material. The back portion below dashed line 2 and the bottom are removable for reloading, inspection, etc., in the same general manner that camera casings may be opened for this purpose. A handle 3 is arranged for carrying the instrument. An opening 4, covered by suitable mesh, a metal grill or the like, is provided for the user to talk into when dictating. A push button 5 starts the motor upon being pressed and stops it upon being released, the internal mechanism for accomplshing this operation being conventional as with amateur type moving picture cameras. A transparent lid 1 spring hinged at 8 covers a measuring device including a tens hand 9 and a units hand [0 operating over a decimally graduated scale II. It is the purpose of this indicator to show the amount of recording filament used, or remaining to be used, and the graduations may be calibrated in feet or time units such as minutes. The hands are attached to their respective stems by friction and, by opening lid 1, they may be restored to zero. ternal paper tape for marking, as with a pencil, information for the transcriber.

Figure 2, which, as stated, is a side view of Figure 1 with the removable portion of the cover omitted and the upper or fixed part of the cover broken away to show the internal mechanism. Certain of the internal elements also are in cross section or broken away as will be understood. A conventional spring motor is provided with a pivoted winding key 2|. Grooved pulley 22, which is driven by the spring motor, drives pulley 23 by means of a tightly wound spring belt 24, or the like. Pulley 23 is affixed to shaft 25. This shaft is connected to a conventional friction governor 26 which may be similar to those used in spring driven phonographs or telephone dials. The governor casing is attached to the casing l of the device by hinge 21 so that it, together with shaft 25, may be moved downward somewhat to facilitate threading the device.

Grooved pulley 28, affixed to shaft 25, drives pulley 29 by spring belt 30. Pulley 29 drives conventional gearing enclosed in casing 3| to provide a decimal drive at proper speed to hands 9 and I0. Gear 32 is also driven by pulley 29 and meshes with gear 33. The latter gear is affixed to a shaft upon which also is affixed gear 34 which meshes with gear 35. The latter drives a spindle 36 upon which is mounted spool 31 carrying the supply of filament 49 and takeup spool 38. Spool 31 is relatively loose on the spindle. Spool 38 is friction driven by having the portion of the spindle upon which it is mounted covered with an appropriate friction material or other suitable arrangement. The gear ratios employed result in spindle 36 being rotated at such speed that the filament fed to spool 38 always will be under tension. The filament as it is being used-will rotate spool 31 in the opposite direction to spindle 36 and spool 38 and the friction of the parts will maintain the filament under slight tension as it is supplied to the recording arrangements.

Behind the opening 4 is mouthpiece 4|, shown in section, which directs the sound against dia- A hinged door 12 gives access to an in- 9 phragm 42, said diaphragm being made of mice. or other suitable material which will be actuated by sound waves. The diaphragm is flexibly mounted in a suitable ring of flexible material 43 in a circular carrier 44. Both of the latter are shown in section and portions thereof broken away. Acoustical barriers 45 and 46 are provided to reduce the amount of internal noise of the driving mechanism which will reach the diaphragm. A lever 41 is aflixed to the middle of the diaphragm and is pivotally mounted at 48. This lever drives a cutting or deforming member 49 which engages the filament. This member may be a blade shaped element effective to place on the filament, as it is driven, hill and dale undulations in response to the actuation of the diaphragm by sound waves to make a record on the filament of said waves. A side view from the right of Figure 2 of these recording elements is shown by Figure 4. The diaphragm and associated elements will be recognized as being similar to sound boxes used with mechanical phonographs and recorders, and the like. and may be modified within the scope of its purpose in the skillful manners developed in those arts. The member 49 may be of sapphire or other suitable material, and may be arranged to be adjusted'or removed. The carrier-43 may be mounted on rubber or the like to acoustically insulate it from the casing, and so may the mouthpiece M.

The filament 4e passes from spool 37 through eyelet 53 which is in line with the groove of wheel 51 affixed to shaft 25. This wheel, or the groove thereof, is of a material such as rubber which will frictionally engagethe filament. The wheel 5! is arranged to drive the. filament at'uniform speed as controlled by governor 25 and presents the filament to member 49 for'recording. By the arrangements set out above, member 33 will be driven by the diaphragm 42 to cause the member to out Or deform, or both, the filament 49 as it is presented to the member by wheel 5i to result in a sound record of light rotative modulations being made on the filament. The filament passes from wheel 5| through an eyelet 52 in line with the wheel, and thence through an eyelet 53 of a level winder to takeup spool 38. The level winder may comprise a lever E l pivoted at 55 and pulled to theleft by spring 58. A shaft 57 passes through pivoted guide 58 and terminates on the left in roller 59. The side of wheel 23 carries a cam face 53 which imparts an oscillatory motion to wheel 59 and, therefore, the level winder 54 to efiect even distribution of the filament on the takeup spool 38. Other conventional level winding arrangements may, of course, be employed.

Shaft 25 is journaled in the governor 23, which is hinged at 2?, as set out above, and is maintained in its normal upward position shown by spring 2 3. This spring works against spring 30 but has a substantial lever arm advantage thereover. A pulley E I is free to rotate, but not for longitudinal movement, on shaft 25. Arcuate shoe 52 attached to the lower portion of diaphragm carrier as is adapted to engage idler pulley 6|. Since the pivot point 48' is also mounted on the diaphragm carrier, it follows that pulley 5| will normally present the filament 4i} accurately to recording member 29.

A circular container 63 carries a roll of paper tape. A portion of tape 64 is being fed from slot 55. the opening in the casing covered by I2 sothat the tape'may be marked with a pencil or the The exposed tape at 63 registers with like after opening the cover Hi. This paper is fed through the rectangular conduit (56 which is for the purpose of shifting the paper to the left in line with rubber roller 67 which is driven by gear 33. The paper is held against roller t! by idler roller 63 by a spring not shown. The paper tape is'delivered into circular container 59 into which it will roll on itself. A friction driven spool may be enclosed in container 69 to take up the paper tape. Containers 63'and 59 have suit ably mounted semi-circular covers Hi and H, respectively, by which container 63 may be supplied with fresh tape and tape may be removed from container 59. per'slowly at a predetermined speed with reference to the filament and it may be marked for;

The tape may also carry numbers as shown at 64 corre-' guidance of the transcriber as set out.

sponding to the reading on the dial H, in which case the gear ratios employed in connection with the dial and paper tape drive willbe chosen to maintain correspondence between the two. With the paper carrying measurements callbrated to recording time, footage of filament used or footage remaining, the dial and associated elements maybe dispensed with and a transparent window l2 employed so that the measure:

ments indicated by the tape may be obse rved.

Reproduction of sound may be made from the filament irrespective of its angular orientation around its longitudinal axis by means set'out in my aforementioned patent application. A

modification of such arrangement is shownfby Figure 5. The filament 46, indicated in'sectiom is driven, at the same speed as employed in recording, by means not shown. A light projector the width of the ribbon of light." A converging lens systemshown here comprising lenses 84, 85 and 86 focuses the light ribbon into photocell 87. The output of this cell: is connected to conventional amplifier. 88 provided with conventional gain control 89. The output of this, amplifier is connected to a telephone receiver 99, or other means for converting electric cur.- rents in the voice frequency range into sound.

, Apolarizingmedium 55!, such as Polaroid, is provided to intersect the incident beam of light and thereby polarize it. A similar medium 92 is provided and so oriented as normally to substantially extinguish the light beam. The presence of the filament 'ifi will rotate the beamto where it is visible to the photo-cell in amount depending upon the record at-any instant of scanning. Modulations on the filament will result in the beam which passed through the filament being rotatively modulated in accord. ance with the record on itfwith said-rotative modulations being converted b'y'niedium 92 into intensity modulations detectable by the photocell.

Polarizing media, particularly those employing an iodide salt oriented to extinguish light, do not always completely do so, but transmit some light which, in the case of an iodide salt, is a shade of purple. A color filter may be employed intersect- The gearing drives the pa A screen 83 is provided with a n'ar v row slit, or the equivalentyto further control.

ing the beam toprovide light complementary to the color transmitted under the above mentioned conditions to result in substantially complete extinction of the rays. This color filter may beincorporated in the carrier for one or both of the polarizing-media.

The light focused on thefilament with these arrangements may result in. the filament being subjected to a substantial and damaging amount ofheat. Appropriate arrangements-may be provided to extinguish the'light when the filament is stopped or to intersect the beam except when the filament'is in motion. The latter arrangements may be similar to those employed with moving picture projectors to interpose a so-called fire screen 'i'n'th'e beam when the filament stops.

The reproducing machine may be provided with means to carry the paper tape and drive it at the same rate with respect to the filament as it was able phenomena of certain light transmitting substances including materials'particularly of the cellulose group, having'a grained structure the grains 'of-which'have been'given predetermined orientation, to in effect rotate polarized light and thereby makevisible, by their introducti'oninto a polariscope; a beam of normally extinguished polarized light, or the converse. Terms such as light rotative"modulations and others to this end maybe considered as relating to the character of therecord in its effect on a polarized sc'anning beam. v

In claiming thi's'invention I may also employ terms such as portable dictation machine in defining this'invention. Inasmuch as the expression portableWmay be considered as a relative term, it will be understood that the meaning thereof intended in the claims is to a machine which-isofsuch size, shape and weight that it may be carried in, one hand and conveniently used while being held in one hand.

'A' wide variety' 'of casingshapesmaybe em-- ployed in practicing this invention. Likewise, the driving'arrangements may be varied widely from the detail shown. Other modifications may also bemade within the scope of this invention, as set outbythe olaims.;-

.What-isclaimed is: I -.1.- A dictation machine including a long flexible medium upon which a record of sound waves may be made, a pulley around'which a portion of said medium is looped to be driven-through frictionalengagement by said pulley,means connected to saidpulley to drive it, a diaphragm responsive to sound waves, a recording member 'operatively connected to,and driven by, said diaphragm to engage said medium at a-point on said pulley to make arecord ofsound waves on said medium as said medium is beingdriven, a resilient mounting for said pulley. tensioned toward said recording member, and limiting means operatively connected to said pulley to provide predetermined normal engagement of said medium by said recording member.

2. A dictation machine including a filamentary recording medium, means-.toadriive saidamedium; a casing, arecording head immovably mounted with respect to said. casing and. being. responsive to-sound waves, and-meansito resilientlnmaintain said sound head aandsaidmediunrin.operativaena gagement to make a record of soundiwaveszorssaid medium as undulations thereon: withi substantially equal effectiveness for all: orientations-.202,- the machine, said casing containing; allz'ofrsaid structure and .beingof such size:an'dshapeasa-may. be conveniently held; one hand; during dicta.- tion.

3, A portable dictation. machine; whichzmay be held in any position during; dictation, including; a filamentary recording=:medium,.ia casing,;,drive means in I said casing operably mounted to, drivesaid recording mediurm. means. to control; the speed of said" drive. means; means; responsive rito; sound wavesto; make a record citric-sound. waves on the medium-as: theymedium'ri's being: driven, said last mentioned; means; including; a diaphragm and a member-actuated therebmsaid diaphragm being mounted in said" casingin fixed relation thereto, an opening insaid-l-caSing to, admit sound waves to said: diaphragm; and means to cause saidmedium toyresiliently-engage saidmember to make 'ajrecordonxthat me. dium with substantially equal; effectiveness for; all positions of the machine, said casing con taining all of, the aforementioned: structure;- and; being of such size and-shapeas may' be'ccnven' iently heldin one-hand.during dictation,

4'. A portable dictation machine. includingrra, casing; an opening inlsaid casing foradmission. of sound waves; a diaphragmwins-ide said, casing, opposite said openingandadaptedto be actuatedby said soundwaves, a motorinr said casing; a flexible record medium inside said .casing,,means.- inside said casing to drivesaidarecordimedium by said motor, means connectedto-and5a0tuated by said diaphragm for placing onlsaid .medium a record of sound waves striking said diaphragm, a flexible tape inside.- said-casing a secondropen ing in said casing through.whichind-icationssmay; be placed on said tape, and-drive-means inside. said casing operatively. connected to. said: motor to drive saidtape pastsaid" second opening and. inregistry therewith at, aispeed which isfless than but in proportionto that' of: said record medium whereby indications -may *be placed, on.

said tape at locations thereon whichshave a.pre.-. F

determined relationship to. the. record .medium positions at the recordingpoint.

5. A portable dictation machine includinga casing, an opening in the casing for admission. of sound'waves, a' diaphragm inside; said casing; opposite said opening and adaptedto'b'eactuated by sound waves, a motor in said casing, a'flexibie' birefringent filament of random lengthinside said casing, means:insidevsaid=f casing to drive said filamenthy said motor, means: connected" toand actuated by said-diaphragm. for :placing on'said filament a record of. sound waves striking said diaphragm, said record being of such charac ter as to be reproducible 1 by" means'rincluding a scanning beam of-polarizedilight; aflexible: tapeof random lengthstored inside -said casing, a; second opening in said; casing. through which' in dications may be placed'on saidtape; and drive means inside said casing operatively: connected to said motor to drive said 'tape pastsaid-secondopening and in registry therewith at a--speed which islessa. than but. proportion: to"; that of.

said-tfllament. whereby indications may be" placed: on: said. tape: at; locations, thereon. which have. a predetermined. relationship to. the: filament positions atctheilrecording. point.

6.:A portable. dictationmachine including: a.

casing, an; opening-in, said casing for admission of; sound: waves. a diaphragm mounted inside said; casing in a position to. be struck by said. sound-waves entering said. opening, a motor in' said casing, a flexible record mediuminside said. casing, means: inside said casing to drive said;

record medium byssaidimotor, means connected.-

tQandgaetuated by said diaphragm for: placing, on-said'medium a record ofasoundwaves striking; said diaphragm, :a flexible tapestored inside said; casing,-.a; second opening; said. casing through;

which accessimay be had to; said .tapefor; placing;

indications thereon, and feed-means inside: said. casing, operatively; connected. tosaid motor to feed said tape along; past said second opening;

and adjacent thereto at a speed which isless; than but in-proportion to-thatof said record. medium so that indications. may be placed on. f said-tape through said second-opening at loca-- tions on'said tape-which have. a predetermined relationshipto the recordmedium positions at;

the .recording point.

7.- A signal recorder-including ahousing; an

elongated flexiblerecord mediumof random, lengthin said housing, ,means. to drive said; me

dium, past. arecording point, means to record signals onsaid mediumat saidlrecording point: as. saidmedium is bei gv driven; a: flexible tape. of random. length stored within said housing; aflwall, of said housing; being provided with, an".

opening. therethrough through which, indications 1 maybe placed on said tape means operatively enclosing all of the aforementioned structure;

JUDSON OD; SHEPHERD:

References Citedin' theme of this patent UNITED: STATES. PATENTS Number Name Date 1,123,147 Sherman- Dec; 29, 1914- 1,231,061 Rierman- June26; 1917" 1,758,559- Croll. May 13, 1930 2,053,108 Rabald Sept. 1, 1936. 2,089,287 Mulloy .Aug: 10', 1937" 2,188,687 Lohn .Jan'.' 30; 19:40 2,191,691 Woolf Feb. 27, 1940 2,212,623 Strauss Aug; .27; 1940 2,256,093, Land- .sept. 16, 1941 2,263,316 Ryan .Nov. 18,1941 2,396,563: Fries Mar.. 12,1946

FOREIGN PATENTS".

Number Country Date 276,708" Great Britain Sept-.1; 1927 681,783 France Feb. 4, 1930 384,258 Great Britain Feb. 4, 1931-. 177,647 Switzerland .June. 15, 1935 447,901 Great'Britain May,19,,1936. 

